What is FAA Part 137?

Part 137 is the FAA's Agricultural Aircraft Operations certificate. It authorizes a business to dispense any economic poison (pesticide, fungicide) or other agricultural material from an aircraft — and the FAA counts a spray drone as an aircraft. Without it, spraying someone else's field for pay is illegal, no matter what other drone certificates the operator holds.

Does a Part 107 drone license cover crop spraying?

No. Part 107 is the remote pilot certificate for commercial drone flight generally. It does not authorize dispensing agricultural chemicals — that requires Part 137 on top of it. A legitimate for-hire spray operator holds both, plus a Section 44807 exemption for drones over 55 lbs and a state applicator license.

How do I verify an operator's Part 137?

Ask for the operating certificate and the business name on it, and confirm the state commercial pesticide applicator license. Every listing on Ag Drone Sprayers is cross-checked against public FAA and state records, so the credential is shown, not just claimed.

FAA Part 137 Explained: What It Means When You Hire a Drone Sprayer

By Ag Drone Sprayers Editorial Team · Updated July 3, 2026

When you hire someone to spray your field from the air, one certificate decides whether they’re running a legal business or exposing you to a mess: FAA Part 137. It’s the least glamorous thing on an operator’s profile and the most important. Here’s what it is, in plain terms, and why it’s the first box to check.

What Part 137 actually authorizes

Part 137 is the FAA’s Agricultural Aircraft Operations certificate. It permits a business to dispense crop-protection products — pesticides, fungicides, herbicides — from an aircraft. The key point most people miss: the FAA treats a spray drone as an aircraft. So the same certificate a manned crop duster needs is the one a drone spraying business needs. No Part 137, no legal for-hire spraying — full stop.

Why it matters to you, the farmer

Liability.If an uncertified operator drifts onto a neighbor’s vineyard or misapplies a product on your crop, you hired an illegal operation — a bad place to be when the claim lands.
Insurance. Operators who did the work to earn Part 137 almost always carry proper application liability coverage. The ones who skipped it usually skipped that too.
Competence signal. Earning Part 137 means the operator wrote a manual, demonstrated knowledge of dispensing rules, and passed FAA scrutiny. It filters out the hobbyist.

The full credential stack

Part 137 is necessary but not sufficient. A fully legal for-hire drone spraying operation holds:

FAA Part 137 — the agricultural aircraft operating certificate (the business-level authorization).
FAA Part 107 — the remote pilot certificate for the person flying.
Section 44807 exemption — required to fly drones over 55 lbs, which is nearly every ag spray drone.
State commercial pesticide applicator license — from your state Department of Agriculture, covering the actual chemical application.

Our regulations guide walks through each in detail, and how to hire a drone sprayer turns it into a checklist you can use on a phone call.

How to verify it

Ask the operator for the business name on their Part 137 certificate and their state applicator license number — a professional will hand both over without hesitation. Better yet, don’t rely on the phone call: every listing on Ag Drone Sprayers is cross-checked against public FAA and state records, so you compare operators by verified credentials instead of taking their word for it.

See which operators near you hold verified Part 137 credentials — cross-checked against FAA and state records. Free to compare and request quotes.

Find verified drone sprayers

Sources

Frequently asked questions

What is FAA Part 137?: Part 137 is the FAA's Agricultural Aircraft Operations certificate. It authorizes a business to dispense any economic poison (pesticide, fungicide) or other agricultural material from an aircraft — and the FAA counts a spray drone as an aircraft. Without it, spraying someone else's field for pay is illegal, no matter what other drone certificates the operator holds.
Does a Part 107 drone license cover crop spraying?: No. Part 107 is the remote pilot certificate for commercial drone flight generally. It does not authorize dispensing agricultural chemicals — that requires Part 137 on top of it. A legitimate for-hire spray operator holds both, plus a Section 44807 exemption for drones over 55 lbs and a state applicator license.
How do I verify an operator's Part 137?: Ask for the operating certificate and the business name on it, and confirm the state commercial pesticide applicator license. Every listing on Ag Drone Sprayers is cross-checked against public FAA and state records, so the credential is shown, not just claimed.